Apple confirms iCloud to retain web apps, but ax iDisk and iWeb

Apple on Friday offered some additional transparency on its MobileMe to iCloud transition, specifying which features will safely make the jump to the new service and which will be lost forever —namely iDisk, Gallery and iWeb.

In an FAQ on the matter, Apple reiterated that it's depreciating its MobileMe service, noting that customers who owned an account as of June 6, 2011 will see their service extended through June 30, 2012, at no additional charge. After that date, the MobileMe service will be shuttered forever.

Though there had been some concern over the fate of MobileMe's web applications, Apple also confirmed that it will be transitioning web mail, contacts, calendar, bookmarks, Find My iPhone, and Back to My Mac to iCloud.com this fall.

However, features such as iWeb publishing, MobileMe Gallery and iDisk will not make the cut. Also axed from the new service will be syncing of Mac Dashboard widgets, keychains, Dock items, and System Preferences —though these will remain accessible until MobileMe shuts down next year.

In place of these missing features, Apple will offer users of its free iCloud service iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream, Documents in the Cloud, Automatic downloads and purchase history for apps and books, and Backup and restore.

MobileMe users who retain me.com or mac.com email address will be able to keep those addresses and move their mail, contacts, and calendars, as well as their bookmarks, to the new service. Instructions on how to do so will be provided closer to iCloud's launch this fall.

For those MobileMe account holders who've made use of their MobileMe Gallery or iDisk, Apple recommends that those users remember to save copies of the photos and files saved on those services before June 30, 2012, at which time they will no longer be accessible.

The FAQ also addresses several MobileMe-related account questions, such as moving individual accounts from a MobileMe family pack to iCloud, purchasing additional storage, and receiving refunds for unused or unactivated MobileMe subscriptions.